St Francis Hospice nursing stalwart retires
Much-admired nurse tells of years of care
ONE of Nelson Mandela Bay’s longest serving nurses and a stalwart of St Francis Hospice retired this week as the NGO was forced to make even further personnel cuts.
It is the third round of retrenchments at St Francis Hospice in Port Elizabeth.
The organisation’s Melanie Manson said it could now only look after 300 patients, including 100 patients from Kouga. It previously cared for 600.
Gillian le Roux started her training at Provincial Hospital in 1964 when she was 17 – and her compassion and love shine through her entire career as a nurse.
“I worked at that hospital for 38 years and eventually retired as the matron,” she said.
“I remember so well when we admitted the first patients with HIV/Aids at Provincial Hospital. Nobody wanted to touch them. When I learned all I could about the illness I would often, during ward rounds, stand at their beds and hold their hands or just touch their arm. Everyone was so terrified. They were terrified. We were terrified.” Then Le Roux joined Hospice. “It was quite a change for me to go from a mindset of finding a cure for an illness to palliative care,” she said. “I still learn something new every day.
“They needed a nurse for the Uitenhage, Despatch, Addo, Kirkwood and Rosedale areas.
“At the time we had a doctor who assisted us. In 2002 we still had so many patients who were dying of Aids. Now it is much better.
“The most important part of our job is to build up a rapport with the family. Many of them became my friends and still are my friends,” she said. “We counsel them on their journey. We try to empower the family and teach them how to look after their loved one.
“I think the most valuable lesson I have learned about death is that families must let their loved ones go. We often stood at someone’s bed and I would tell the family to just pray.
“Pray to God to be merciful and gracious. Honour their lives. Don’t feel guilty.”
Le Roux said that throughout her time at the hospice she was inspired and uplifted by the volunteers at the organisation.
“We now have a chaplain, Mark Gelido, who volunteers with us. That is a true blessing.”
She will now move on to become a nurse counsellor at the Methodist Old Age Homes in Nelson Mandela Bay.
“Hospice is such a vital service for this city. I hope I can motivate people and businesses to continue donating to keep this service alive,” she said.
“If St Francis Hospice must close, the poorest of the poor will suffer.”